Posts Tagged by Life

I know I’ve been absent for many months. I have actually been in a big move from Japan to Hawaii and have had a ton going on. Many changes are taking place in my life as well as this blog. I had thought I wanted to take it in one direction but then decided that was not going to work for me. So, please bare with me.

I am hoping to have a clear and committed direction by the end of this month, hopefully sooner. I know for certain this blog will now not be used for gaming. I will let you all know when decisions are made and I hope you will stay with me. If you are interested you can find me at: I’m At Home Baking & Teacups & Notes for the time being. Thank you.

I don’t know about you, but I am really looking forward to 2014. There is much to look forward to but there will also be a some stress to balance it out.

I know we don’t want anything negative to happen but let’s face it, things won’t go 100% as planned and I know I am going to have to be ok with that.

I pray we all get through this year without too many scars but life is unpredictable. So my wish for you is that no matter what happens, you have peace!

Resolutions..not my thing. I like to go with goals instead. Some of my goals from last year were met and some were not. All I can do is try harder this year. I have nothing to prove to anyone but myself.

My goals for this year include loosing more weight, continuing to live more in the moment, remembering that my time with those I love is limited, to not be so quick to anger and when I do get angry, to only allow it to effect me for 5 minutes then let it go.

Living in the moment was one of my goals last year and I did work hard on it all year long and I feel like I did and knowing I enjoyed my life more this past year and tried not to let things pass me by, I want to continue this goal in this new year. I also refer to it as “Being Present”, in my own life and others. It is far to easy to just let it all slip away, especially when we become busy and or complacent.

Big things are happening for us this year and it is scary but also exciting! I hope that you too have some happy things to look forward to in this new year.

Anyone else happy that 2013 is coming to a close? Mind you, while it was not a horrible year, there is much for me to look forward to in 2014.

I hope there are plenty of things for you to be or get excited about in your 2014.

One of the biggest things I think we need to take with us all into the new year is positive thinking and realizing that there may just be a silver lining!

I don’t do resolutions. I stopped making those moons ago. Instead I think “goals” are more realistic. And yes, I did reach some of the goals I made for this year and some were not met but I am ok with that. On to new and different things in this coming new year.

I leave you with an end of the year questioner! See you in the new year!

1. What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before?

Visited The Tomb Of Christ Here In Japan.

2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I Don’t Do Resolutions, I Make Goals. There Were A Few Goals I Met And Yes I Will Make New Ones For 2014.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

No

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Yes, In August My Grandfather And It Was Horrible To Not Be Able To Get To His Funeral.

It’s been a while. Why? Well, many different reasons. Like the title says “Sometimes “Things” Go Stale”! I think one of the biggest things is that I have tired of Japan. I know, how ungrateful I am….(rolling my eyes)!

Incase you are wondering I’ve not taken my time here for granted. I know people would hurt other people to be able to live in Japan…not nessicerily where I live though. Let’s not forget I live WAY up North in the farm lands…Not in the middle of Tokyo. To put it another way..one place is glamourous while the other is kind of homley…yeah.

I actually have many posts to write. I have been in a “I’m really over living in Japan” kind of funk. It has gotten old. Once you have been to a festival one time…it is the same, every other time. You have to enjoy eating too…I am not a huge fan of food on a stick or eating a lot, especially while I am out and about.

I guess I have been uninspired for a while now…even though I have seen and visited inspiring places! I come to my blog and try to decide how many of those 400 pictures I am going to post and what would everyone want to see of my trip or adventure. Then I just loose interest even though I want to share with all of you. It really is time to move on from here.

One more year, we shall be gone this time next year and I am excited. I don’t want to say my life has become stale because that is not fully the truth either…certain aspects of it have. It’s not like I can run to Walmart, Target or any of my favorite crafting stores.

Yes, I do have some Japanese stores I do like to frequent but it is never exactly what I want or am looking for, just something suitable enough…”for now”. Also, we are now in the summer full swing and I hate summer here. I am not and don’t think I ever have sugar coated that. I love winter here. I can say I am looking forward to my last winter here.

The things I enjoy most in life are a pain in the ass to do in the summer. I will say that just this past month they have allowed each home, with many restrictions…a small portable AC unit. We had talked about it, about getting one. We talked but then that’s been it. We are on a self imposed strict budget. 1 year out from our next move I love to save, save, save as much money as possible!

So what else has gone a little stale…friendships. I know, many fizzle and few sizzle..especially living the military life..always moving and even with social media it’s still easy to disconnect. Sometimes even the things you think will hold the friendship together like glue..does not matter. I guess with some people you have to have many, many things in common. That’s hard,lol. Friendships are hard, especially the older I get…boooo!

I guess when it comes down to it, I could write forever about negative things,lol. There are still many little positives about living in Japan but in the end, I am ready to adventure on and see what else is out there!

My Theme For The Challenge This Year Is Baking! Today’s Letter Is “N”!

As I write this post I hope all of you and your family/friends are safe! I am so sad as to what happened in Boston. I love Boston!! I did have some family members there and they were running the marathon but I am happy to say they are not hurt!

I think today everyone should make these chocolate chip cookies!! I mean, cookies make people happy and can lift peoples spirits! Go make some for someone you care about, today!! Here is the recipe I always use to make my Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies .

I hope you and yours had a wonderful celebration! I am looking forward to this new year! A new year of MORE blogging and hopefully getting out more to do things in Japan. It’s been a little rough here the last few months, curfews and other such not so fun things and it kind of sucked the joy out of being here. Of course other things have also sucked the joy out of being here.

We have 1.5 years left here so I want to make the best of it! We will be picking new orders this summer, we are both looking forward to it! The anticipation is building in me since summer is only months away. As I am typing we are in the middle of a wonderful Misawa snowstorm! You MUST love snow to move here!

I have spent the last, past year focusing more on my baking & baking blog. I also have a project in the works which I am devoting this year, 2013 to. I am assuming it will be time consuming and it has to do with baking if you are interested. For now I will leave you with that until it is developed more. No, I don’t have a bakery yet, not yet…I have to wait a few more short years

I have many hopes & desires for this new year. I am not wasting my time, thoughts or anything else on resolutions…I have goals and this project is my goal for 2013…not necessarily to “finish” it this year but build and grow it! I am excited!!

I hope this year brings you all much joy, peace & happiness!! Do you have any goals for this year or resolutions?

Oh…hey! I’ve been busy and not blogging huh? Truth be told, I am busy and I am blogging but on my baking blog. I am doing 25 Days Of Christmas Cookies over at I’m At Home Baking! So, go visit and get to making some Christmas cookies or cookies for the holiday you are celebrating!

We have our Christmas tree, have had it since Black Friday. Packages with Christmas presents are arriving daily for us. We did 99.9% of our Christmas shopping online. The Black Friday sales kind of stunk here.

Midnight Madness was the last sale they just had here this past Saturday…I actually think the sales were better than what they offered to us on Black Friday…we certainly spent more.

I can not believe that Christmas is just about 1 week away! It has NOT been snowing here. We did get a little snow so far this season but not much and certainly not enough! Instead of snow, we’ve been getting rain! This is typically not a rainy season for us at all but temps have been MUCH warmer than they were last year. I am thinking we will be dealing with a much later running winter season this year…I’m OK with that.

So, I’ve been baking, a lot really. I have also been working on a few other projects too, craft like ones and so, I’ve been doing stuff. I know, I still need to finish my Guam posts. I have so many pictures to share…it really is a beautiful place!!! I hope to go back, sometime. Come June we will be picking new orders and figure out where we are moving next! Thankfully time is moving fast.

I have to be honest. I am over being here, we both are. It is time to move along, away. One good thing about being here is a wonderful friend I have made!!! I wish I could take her with me when we move…The odds of us living anywhere close together again is not likely. Her husband is Air Force, we are Navy!

So, what is your most favorite cookie or cookie you enjoy the most at Christmastime???

Hello family & friends It has been a super slow year blogging for me. It’s been slow around here in some ways as well.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween We did. We did our traditional dinner & watching of the movie “Halloween” but I threw a twist into this year and decided to hand out candy, which I’ve never done before. Must have handed out candy easily to over 150 kids. Plus my friend Sarah and her little one, Dom came over for a treat and visit which added to my night!

So, it is November 1st and tomorrow I leave for the 1st leg of my “Girls Vacation”!!! Tokyo, I’ve been once already this year, weeks ago, so this will be my 2nd trip to Tokyo this year! My friend & I are staying there for 2 nights. Really don’t have anything planned for Tokyo, don’t really want to be off, running around, trying to see stuff, more of a relaxing and getting ready for the big part of our vacation, Guam!

Guam is known as Asia’s Hawaii. Pictures that we’ve seen look amazing. The hotel we chose, the Outrigger is a 5 star hotel in the middle of everything and on the beach. There is supposed to be a bit of everything. I am excited, nervous, excited and even more nervous. Today I have butterfly’s in my stomach and I know I will not sleep tonight.

Why nervous, well I don’t know exactly. I guess first of all this trip is totally out of character for me, really, it is. Like even more out of character for me than suggesting we move to Japan. Also, I’ve never been on a vacation without my husband, just how we roll,lol. So it is all very new, thrilling, exciting, so much different things going on. I know I will have a blast with my friend

I have vowed to NEVER, ever take the bus again from here to Tokyo and thus far it has been that way and again I will be taking the Shinkansen (Bullet Train)! I love it. Gets us to Tokyo in less than 3.5 hours. A tad more expensive than taking the overnight bus but incredibly worth every Yenny to me.

Daniel will be bringing us to the train station, we are leaving from Hachinohe, not to far from Misawa. We are leaving in the middle of the afternoon, our choice. Will get into Tokyo just in time for dinner and not sure what else. Our flight leaves from Tokyo to Guam on Sunday and again it is only a short flight, about 3.5 hours and we will get into Guam in the middle of the afternoon!

It will sure be an adventure with lot’s of fun. I have to be honest, I will miss my love and my fur-babies but I know they will be here and ready to snuggle with when I get back home!

Sorry I’ve not posted or updated in a while. I guess I have just been living and going along,lol. The temps are nice and chilly and getting cold. Soon it will be winter and there will be fluffy white happy stuffs all around to play in..I can not wait!

It seems though everyone is now getting sick and passing it all over the base. Kind of hard not too, small base and I am sure so many people & kids who do not wash hands and other such things….ewwww.

I am afraid of getting full on sick, right now I am on the fence, in the middle. I am kinda sick but not having any defining things wrong. Sore throat, a little coughing, had a fever yesterday, ache.

My husband on the other hand is full on sick, which I why I am afraid…My girls vacation to Guam starts on Nivember 2nd. Trying not to be sick, that would be miserable.

So, I picked up some Airborne and hoping like heck it helps, works, keeps me in the clear. When I get full on cold/flu sick, it lasts weeks..can not afford for that to happen with my vacation so close!!

Also, I’ve been a busy crafting in my craft room, visiting with my good friend Sarah whom is also a crafter. I go to her house once a week, at least try too. I am really happy to have found her and can really call her a true friend!!

I hope all of you out there are doing well, keeping healthy and safe from all these strange storms going on. Apparently my family is to be hit with what they are calling Frankenstorm,lol.

In the 11 years we’ve been married and in the military we’ve never gone to a Navy Ball. Honestly, when it comes around we always seem to think about it last minute and then of course I never have a dress and the list goes on…

We talked about finally going this year and there was a dress “shop” run by an American off base…Okay, not really a dress shop but his wife sold dresses to us that she purchased. So, I knew I’d be able to get one for the event.

In September while getting my hair done, my hair dresser told me she had a dress for me to try on, tried it on, looked wonderful and it was mine. Now I had my dress and no more worries.

I wore my shawl all night with my dress because a week before or maybe it had been 2 weeks before I got a nasty bruise on my arm and well it was still very ugly. The shawl fixed that problem.

I did not know what to expect about the Ball, there is not much information out there about it. Now that I’ve gone and experienced it, it really is not a big deal even though it is made out to be. I mean, it is a celebration of the birth of the Navy but aside from that it is a bunch of long, drawn out speeches by people who’s names I don’t even remember.

We had fun. There was dancing, a DJ. The food was delicious as I expected as I love the the steak from our on base so called steak-house. We did dance to a few songs, had a few drinks, was there for many hours, then called it a night.

Would I go again? Sure, but the next time I will not stress out about silly little things some woman seem to make a huge deal about. It was a party, it should be fun, that is all